Converting hydrocarbon



June 9, 1931. Y N. I oOMls4 11,809,174

CONVERTING HYDROCARBON Filed May `5, 1924 f Na'tvhaniel E.' Loomis.

,Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT or-'r-'ICE'y A NATHANIEL E. LOOMIS, F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB T0 STANDARD OIL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, A. CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE GONVERTING IEIIYIDRQGARIBON' Application filed Hay '5, 1924. Serial No. 711,188.

This invention relates to the art of con- I ve'rting hydrocarbons into lower boilingv products, and will be understood from thefollowing .descr1ption, reference being had also to the accompanying drawing which represents in .front elevation one form of apparatus contemplated. v v

In thedrawing the numeral 1 designates a pressure still mounted ina suitable heating furnace. The vapor pipe from the still leads into a reflux condenser, for instance an. air-cooled coil 2, and thence to a finalcondenser 3 and receiver 4. From the intermediate portion of the reflux condenser, a condensate trap-'out connection 5 leads to a collector tank 6 provided with a draw-ofi:l pipe 7 and a connection 8 to a pump 9. The pump 9 is in feed relation to a cracking coil 10 mounted in a suitable furnace and having, if desired, a drum 11 guarded against heat loss in'any preferred manner. An off-take pipe 12 leads the crackedproducts to avapor separator 13 having a drain pipe 14 and a pipe 15 for draw-off of intermediate condensate. A vapor off-take pipe 16 from the separator` 13 leads to a final condenser 17 and receiver 18.

In operation, a hydrocarbon stock to be cracked, for example a gas oil, is suppliedv to the pressure still 1, as through -line 20, and a cracking temperature being maintamed, vapors pass 4under a pressure of for instance 95-100 lbs. gauge (as maintainedby valve 19 etc.) to the partial condensing zone in the reflux condenser. Heavy condensate l formed in the lower part of the reflux co n'` denser returns tothe still, but the conden-A sate forming in the upper part of the reflux condenser is of lighter character, and this is trapped out by connection 5, while the uncondensed vapors pass on to the final condenser 3. The trapped out condensate thus diverted may be taken off by pipe 7 for any use desired, or it may be taken off by connection 8 and forwarded `by pump 9 to the cracking coil 10 `where it is subjected to a cracking temperature under -higher pressure. Products from the cracking coil or drum pass to the vapor separatory 13 andl reflux condenser were diverted from theV still, such procedure would impose a needless and heavy burden uponthe still in heating the correspondingly increased amount of fresh feed Astock required to compensate,-

and I accordingly -separate out only the lighter portion of the reflux which is most unsuited to pressure still treatment. and allow the heavier portion -to returnkfor further cracking.

I claim: v y

1. Apparatus of the character described, which comprises a still, a reflux condenser for receiving vapors therefrom, meansfor retaining *pressure upon the vapors in the still and reflux condenser, a trap-outl connection in the intermediate portion of said reflux condenser, a cracking coil forreceiving trapped-out condensate and adapted to v operate at higher pressure than the still, a vapor separator in connection'with said cracking coil and a condenser-in connection with said vapor separator.

2. Apparatus of the character described, which com rises a pressure still, a reflux condenser or receiving vapors therefrom, a trap-out connection in the reflux condenser for diverting a lighter fraction ofv condensate formed, a cracking coil joined with said trap-out connection and adapted to operate at higher pressure than the still, and a drum guarded against heat loss and connected to receive eflluent from the `cracking coil.

NATHANIEL E. LooMIs. 

